Munnar is famous for

Mother Nature has been generous in showering her bounty on this hill station. If Kerala is God's Own Country Munnar is god's abode. The vivid flora and fauna, wild life, adventure sports, beautiful lakes all come together in Munnar. It is rightly called the 'Kashmir of Kerala'.

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Planning Munnar trip?

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Planning Munnar trip?

Know cost before you go!

Reasons to go to Munnar

1For the lush greenery

HolidayIQ Reviewer Ria Das adds, “We crossed a small village with some shops and then soon we entered the beautiful tea estate. The spectacular view of the plantation amazed me. The sun was playing with the clouds and our jeep was playing and romancing the bends of the road uphill. The roads were very rough and patchy. We crossed some beautiful streams and waterfall. ...We reached the top of Kolukkumalai in our Jeep and trekked a little up to the tea factory. There was an echo point in between. ...we came downstairs where we made tea from the raw material through different machines. It was an experience of a lifetime. We also had tea there.”

Eravikulam (Rajamalai) National Park is situated about 15 km away from Munnar. This is the natural habitat of highly endangered species of mountain goats called Nilgiri Tahr or Nilgiri Ibex.

HolidayIQ reviewer Tony says,"Rajamalai, famous for the endangered Wild Goat, Nilgiri Tahr, is an amazing place to see. The breathtaking view and close proximity of the rare species is an unforgettable experience." While Nitin adds, "It was brilliantly maintained national park, rarest rare species of plants as well as wild animals and superb atmosphere. Nice jungle safari, lush greenery around, this place definitely does not fail to rejuvenate you and recommended."

HolidayIQ reviewer Praveen adds, "The wildlife sanctuary was very good location to view. The place is good for kids to enjoy very much and to have fun."

Best way to reach Rajamalai:

The nearest airport to Rajamalai is Kochi, which is about 135 kilometers away.

The nearest railway station to Rajamalai is Aluva which is about 115 kilometers away.

HolidayIQ tourist Arnab says, "Munnar is one of the best hill station of South India and is all about tea plantations miles and miles where your eyes can see. Such a beautiful place with clouds are touching to your body, mesmerizing scenery. Spice garden visit, elephant ride and more. Very nice and pleasant weather."

Unlike the other hill stations Munnar has umpteen number of valleys and waterfalls besides the other places of interest. One can definitely enjoy Munnar with at least two nights of stay with best chosen hotels/resorts. Travel through a good supplier and you will never miss anything.” HolidayIQ Traveller Mohanlal Jain from bangalore shares, “Munnar is just not a place. Munnar is destination spread over 60 km in diameter. Stay in center point is not recommended. One may stay in any of the good hotels located across Munnar area and most of them have their rooms facing the mesmerizing hills, tea estates and the beautiful valleys.

Reviews (1350)

A nice place

Munnar is the best places to visit. Munnar is one of the most popular hill-resort towns in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district. Best Visiting places in Munnar are Mattupetty, Eravikulam National Park, Echo Point, Elephant Lake, Tata Tea Museum, Power House Waterfalls, Top Station, Kundala Dam, Chitirapuram, CSI Church, Munnar Elephant Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Salim Ali (Thattekad) Bird Sanctuary, Kolukkumalai Tea Estate etc.

Awesome destination to chill out away from city life

1. Planned to spend at-least three days, though everyone says to spend two. I just want people to feel relaxed when they are on holiday and additional one day helps to get complete relaxation. 2. Perfect places to enjoy scenic beauty, day 1 - Garden, Photo point, Carmelagiri Elephant Park, Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point, kundala lake, top station. Don't forget to get the photos clicked from local photographers who will give you prints in 20-30 rs each, you can really get one album photos done here on this route. 3. Second day you can cover - Tea Museum or fectory, Eravikulam National Park, Nayamakad Waterfall, Lakkom Water Falls. Don't forget to book advance ticket/reservation for Eravikulam National Park to be on track or else not only you gonna waste time in standing big queues for ticket and yo may end up getting ticket for later day. 4. Third or last day you can keep it for relaxation. You can actually spend one D/N in 5 start hotels to get the real feel of valleys or waterfalls. I tried this, real thumbs up for this plan. 5. Though I visited in May, I still enjoyed the weather, scenery, falls, peak points, beautiful green tea gardens.

Munnar Overview

History of Munnar

This hill station in the Western Ghats came into the limelight only in the late 19th century after the British leased some of the lands in the area. They started cultivation of crops such as coffee and cardamom before settling on tea as the ideal crop for the area. In the 1960s, the Tata Group forayed into the tea business and floated Tata tea Ltd. It was in the late 20th century that Munnar emerged as a tourism hotspot.

People and Culture of Munnar

The cultural heritage of Munnar is an amalgamation of that of the British, the Malayalis, and the Tamilians. The locals lead a simple life still untouched by globalisation. They believe in traditions and pass them down over the generations. Hinduism is the predominant religion and many festivals are celebrated with Onam being the most popular.

Things To Do in Munnar

Mother Nature has been generous in showering her bounty on this hill station. Most tourists come on a trip to Munnar in the hope of spending quality time in the lap of nature and they are never disappointed. A majority of the places to see in Munnar are outdoors such as the Rose Garden and Echo Point. Mattupetty is one of the famous picnic spots in Munnar which has a storage concrete gravity dam for hydroelectricity generation purposes. The Kannan Devan tea Museum, Top Station, Tata Tea Museum, Kundala Lake, and Rajamalai Wildlife Sanctuary are some of the popular Munnar tourist places.

Food and Shopping in Munnar

In addition to the pleasant weather and soothing scenery, Munnar has plenty to offer when it comes to food options for people sightseeing in Munnar. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike can enjoy authentic Kerala cuisine served on fresh banana leaves. Breakfast eats can range from idiappams or appams with stew to masala dosa or idli and are considered Munnar attractions by many. Lunch and dinner is primarily rice with sambhar or rasam, stir fried vegetables, and salads are some of the vegetarian dishes. Non-vegetarians get to choose from various fish and meat preparations. Spicy fish curry, fish fry, and biryani will all appease the taste buds of visitors taking a break from Munnar sightseeing.

Some tea packets inevitably find their way into the baggage of those returning home from a Munnar tour. Shopping for Kerala spices, aromatic oils, homemade chocolates, and naturally-dyed clothes are also on the list of things to do in Munnar.

Accommodation in Munnar

One decision you will need to make before embarking on your journey from your home is to determine how to reach Munnar. The closest airport is in Cochin-Ernakulam and is about 110 km away. Madurai airport is slightly further away at around 140 km. State and private buses offer connectivity to various cities while the nearest railway station is at Aluva, a distance of around 110 km. There are many hotels and resorts in Munnar offering all kinds of amenities and luxuries to visitors. If required, they can also provide assistance with directions to Munnar places to visit. Deciding beforehand on what places to visit in Munnar can ensure you have a relaxed holiday.